DWGT-TV
DWGT-TV, channel 4, is the flagship station of Philippine-government owned television network People's Television Network. Its head office, studios and transmitter are located at Broadcast Complex, Visayas Avenue, Brgy. Vasra, Diliman, Quezon City. It operates Mondays to Fridays from 6:00 am to 1:00 am (4:00 am to 1:00 am every 1st Friday of the month), Saturdays from 6:00 am to 12:00 mn and Sundays from 7:00 am to 12:00 mn (except Holy Week of each year where it signs-off at 1:00 AM of Maundy Thursday until 7:00 AM of Easter Sunday). History The frequency rights of Channel 4 were previously owned by one of the ABS-CBN stations in Metro Manila (DZXL-TV 4) when the station moved from channel 9 to channel 4 on November 14, 1969. During the Martial Law era, the government seized the frequency of channel 4 of ABS-CBN, reopened it by the National Media Production Center in April 1974 as Government Television (GTV). GTV was located at the former ABS-CBN Broadcasting Center complex on Bohol (now Sgt. Esguerra) Avenue, Quezon City, which was renamed Broadcast Plaza. By 1980, GTV became MBS (Maharlika Broadcasting System), a full-blown media machinery for former president Ferdinand E. Marcos, and one of four TV stations in operation back then, and it also began its broadcasting in full color (thus, it became the last national network that transitioned to color broadcasting). Surprising, though, as Marcos banned Voltes V, MBS carried Daimos. On February 24, 1986, during a live news conference in Malacañang, rebel forces tried to capture MBS and eventually succeeded. At the heat of exchanges between Marcos and then Chief of Staff General Fabian Ver, MBS suddenly went off the air when its facilities were taken over by rebel forces and by that afternoon started broadcasting for the people with its massive marathon coverage. Once the government then attempted not to broadcast the situation made by the rebels, only to fail. During the administration of President Corazon Aquino, it became known as People's Television Network (PTV). The years following its broadcast, PTV's facilities, then housed on a major part of ABS-CBN's present studio complex in Bohol (now Sgt. Esguerra) Avenue, Quezon City, became a subject of a legal battle between the Lopezes and the Government. To end the scuffle, the Aquino government, through the Bureau of Broadcast Services, which then newly revived the pre-Martial Law era Philippine Broadcasting Service, decided to expand the former National Media Production Center building in Visayas Ave. to eventually accommodate PTV. In 1992, the station moved its studios to the said complex with transmitters and other equipment largely donated from a grant of the French government. The Broadcast Center on the other hand, had been given back to ABS-CBN, who regained total control over the facility. On July 16, 2001, PTV was renamed as National Broadcasting Network (NBN). By that time it introduced the country's first two-hour newscast Teledyaryo, and adopted mostly programs that showcase the programs of the Arroyo administration. As President Benigno Aquino III entered office in June 2010, once again, NBN became part of PTNI to enhance its news and programing to viewers nationwide and worldwide until recently, NBN introduced its digital broadcast on ISDB-T channel 48 as the transmitter was rehabilitated and upgraded its frequency using advanced transmitter equipment from Harris Corporation of the United States. In his second State of the Nation Address last July 25, 2011, Aquino called the government to make plans in re-strengthening PTV as a Government broadcaster. On October 6, 2011, NBN reverted to the original People's Television Network (PTV) and followed by on July 2, 2012, PTV was rebranded as new slogan "Telebisyon ng Bayan (People's Television)". As President Rodrigo Duterte entered office in July 1, 2016, the "Telebisyon ng Bayan" slogan was dropped from the logo, retaining its 2012 PTV logo on July 11, 2016 and followed by on November 25, 2016, it was officially announced that PTV was under the new manangement, the network named former TV5 Production Engineering head Dino Apolonio was appointed as the Network General Manager and he also assumed as the Network Chief Operating Officer replacing Albert Bocobo (who tendered his courtesy resignation to President Duterte through Presidential Communications Office secretary Martin Andanar in July 7, 2016.), and also the network's board member Josemaria Claro was also appointed as Network Vice Chairperson. On July 25, 2016, during his first State of the Nation Address, President Rodrigo Duterte will pass a law merging People's Television Network with its radio network Philippine Broadcasting Service into the People's Broadcasting Corporation (PBC). On January 4, 2017, PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar announced that PTV's transmitter power output was increased from 25 kW to 60 kW for a clearer and better signal reception. On April 3, 2017, PTV launched its transitional and wordmark logo, its corresponding station ID, and new graphics, Finally, its official logo, which represents the elements of the Philippine flag, was launched upon the station's sign-on on June 28, 2017. The network also launched its new slogan, "Para sa Bayan (For the Nation)", which was already used since July 2016 (prior to the re-branding). Digital television Digital channels UHF Channel 42 (641.143 MHz) Prior to its current DTT channel frequency, PTV was previously using the UHF Channel 48 frequency (677.143 MHz) from its beginning of digital test transmission until the first half of 2015, while TV5 (through its affiliate Nation Broadcasting Corporation) was using UHF Channel 42 before it discontinued. President Rodrigo Duterte on his first State of the Nation Address on July 25, 2016 stated that the government will put up two government-run TV channels for the Muslims and the Lumad, hence Salaam TV was established, while the channel for the Lumad is still being planned. In addition, the government's official news agency (PNA) is planning to launch its own dedicated news channel on PTV's digital subchannel. Eventually, it launched a late-night newscast called PNA Newsroom airing every midnight on PTV. See also *People's Television Network *List of People's Television Network stations and channels *Philippine Broadcasting Service *Radyo Pilipinas 1 738